Aftermath
by graytabby
Summary: The War of the Remnants has been over for several years. What will the future hold? Rated M for later chapters--and contains various pairings, some het, some not. Notes: contains spoilers for the whole game, especially the ending!
1. Compromise

David Nassau, Marquis of Athlum, gazed blankly at his mother's garden.

His father's presence--and absence--was most keenly felt in the audience chamber and the library, those places most intimately tied up with the duties of a Marquis. The gardens were not, therefore, a place David usually came to remember his father, but the old marquis had loved this garden while David's mother had been alive. Here beneath the open skies, David's parents had walked and talked and laughed together. Though they had married as a tactical political match, their relationship had deepened to love over the years, and neither had regretted their match.

His father and mother _had_ been lucky, however, considering how most political marriages worked out. Everyone knew about Nielsen and his complicated marriage to Violet Gilles-Barre. And Qubine's parents, to all accounts, had been a coldly cordial couple at best. Ghor's wife lived entirely separately from him, in a palace outside the city--to David's knowledge, Ghor saw her perhaps twice a year at ceremonial functions. In fact, none of the Congress members were exactly shining examples of happy relationships; most were not married at all.

David sighed. That wasn't an excuse, really. He had become Marquis young enough--and in turbulent enough times--that the people of Athlum had been patient, but they would expect him to wed at some point. If he put it off too long, he would risk his reluctance becoming obvious.

Perhaps Pagus was right. Perhaps it was time to start seeking a bride.

----

Irina squinted at the figure striding along the path towards the house, and then grinned and waved as recognition dawned.

"Emmy! What are you doing on Eulam?"

The warrior smiled, and raised a hand in greeting as she approached. "Hey, Irina. I thought it would be nice to drop by. Are your parents around?"

Irina shook her head. "I'm sorry. They took a boat off to the mainland about a week ago."

"Hmm. Well, it's not really them I'm here to see. Mind if I come visit with you?"

Irina gestured for Emmy to go inside, puzzled. Irina had received a batch of letters from Pagus and Blocter recently--they seemed to feel obliged to keep her informed on matters relating to Athlum--and they'd mentioned nothing of a matter that Emmy might need to discuss with her. Irina poured out some wine for her old friend, and gently tried to find out why the general was here. Emmy seemed unwilling to talk of anything serious--in fact, Emmy prattled cheerfully on about townsfolk in Athlum, many of whom Irina had only minimally been acquainted with. Irina's confusion deepened. Surely Emmy wouldn't have come all the way here to tell her about the weddings of soldiers she barely remembered?

After a fair amount of time had passed, Emmy appeared to run out of trivial chatter, and an uneasy silence fell. Irina poured out more wine, and waited for Emmy to get around to whatever point she was here to make. If one of the generals was ill--or Mr David was in trouble--surely she'd have announced that at the outset.

When Emmy spoke, her voice was pitched at an artfully casual level. "Lord David is, of course, still a fine ruler. He's making steps to secure Athlum's future stability." Emmy sipped her wine, and stared at the table.

"That's good to know.."

"And as part of those measures, my lord is looking to contract a marriage. I'm supposed to be talking to appropriate noble families, to negotiate a good bride."

Irina nearly dropped her wine. "But.. he.. what? Why? He.. surely he doesn't want to actually get married?"

Emmy's eyes met Irina's. "He will have to sooner or later. The citizenry of Athlum would prefer that he furnish them with an heir at some point." She made a sour face, and sipped at the wine again.

"But that's so unfair!"

"I tend to agree. But think of it from the perspective of his citizens, Irina. My lord is young, sure, but his parents weren't much older when they were wed. Paris and Charlotte were about the same age."

"Paris and Charlotte had been in love for years by that point, though!"

"Yes. Still." Irina scowled down at her own drink. She shook her head. "People in Athlum don't know about Rush, or they wouldn't ask this of him."

"Just the vaguest of rumours, correct. And in honesty, they've not been pressuring him.. yet." "But.. he wants them not to have to, right?"

Emmy nodded.

"Poor Mr David."

"This sort of brings me to my next point. You recall I said I was told to talk to nobles?"

"Yeah. But Eulam's not a high court, Emmy. I don't think you're going to find anyone here."

"Well, that's it. There's one person who would qualify. You."

Over the sound of Irina's spluttering, Emmy continued, "I know, I know, it's a dreadful thing to ask you." She seized Irina's hand. "Irina, you're a Marshall, which makes your blood nobler than almost anyone in the land. And my lord is fond of you and your family already. And.. you would understand if he found it hard to be a proper husband to you. You're the best match I can think of."

Irina pulled her hand back from Emmy's grasp, and said shrewdly, "he doesn't know you're asking me, does he?"

"No."

"Emmy..

Emmy stood. "Please, just consider it? I'll be in the port inn until next week's boat to the mainland sails. If you change your mind, let me know. If you change your mind after the boat sails, come to Athlum--or send messengers--and I'll do what I can to speed your passage." She strode to the door, and paused, hand on the handle. "Irina, I didn't want to have to ask. And Lord David will not be pleased that I did. But.."

"No, I think.. I think I understand."

Emmy nodded, and let herself out.

Irina sat. Mr David as a husband? That felt really _wrong_. He was pure noble in so many ways, and she was just 'a normal girl'. Clever, sure--but genuinely normal, without Remnants in the world. Mr David was refined and valiant.. and _admit it_, she thought, _painfully beautiful_. When she'd first met him--before she'd realised quite how futile the crush was, she told herself--she'd nurtured a bit of a crush on the young Marquis. Not that he had returned the feeling in the slightest; he'd treated her with kindness and as an adult but well, pretty much like a sister.

Because she was Rush's sister.

These days the stone in her throat no longer blocked her breath when she called Rush to mind. She could even talk about him with her parents without weeping. Perhaps Mr David's grief was lifting also, finally. Seeing her would not exactly help things, though, and marrying her.. wouldn't it be cruel? She'd be a constant reminder of Rush to him, and he to her.

But would it be so bad to be reminded?

----

"You came," Emmy said, carefully expressionless as she paid the wagon driver. Irina nodded silently, clutching a cloak around her against the bitter winds on the dock.

"Does this mean that you.."

"..I'm not sure. I want to discuss it with Mr David first."

"Very well."

They stared together at the mist hovering over the water.

"Once we get to Athlum, I will tell Lord David why I sought you out."

"In which case, you have two weeks to persuade me that you're right."

----

David's reaction was, as Emmy had predicted, one of horror.

"You must be joking! Are you seriously suggesting that I marry Irina Sykes? Irina, as in _Rush's sister_?"

Emmy, shrinking back slightly, nodded.

"Have you lost all your senses?"

"My lord, I--she would be a good match. Politically, and.."

"You _have_ lost all your senses!"

Torgal frowned, and leaned in. "Lord David. It is a worthwhile suggestion. Please, at least consider the option before rejecting it outright."

David clamped his mouth firmly shut, and glared at his generals furiously. After a moment of tense, angry silence, he rose from his chair and strode out of the audience chamber.

Emmy exhaled, finally.

"Emmy, he will have a hard time forgiving you for this," said Pagus. "Not that you're not correct," he added, before she could protest. "Irina is the best match of any that we've presented, for a multitude of reasons."

Torgal nodded. "Many of which are the same reasons that make Lord David so unwilling to consider the match."

"Indeed. Well, the decision must be his own. Can I assume Irina's presence indicates that she is willing to go through with a marriage?"

Emmy shook her head. "She wanted to discuss it with him, but I don't think she's exactly in favour of the plan."

"A pity. Still, 'tis in their hands now."

----

Irina absently followed the messenger down to the gardens.

David was gazing at the flowers, in a manner that was so familiar that Irina almost expected Rush to amble around the corner with that half-possessive, half-embarrassed grin on his face. She bit her lip against the small pang that thought brought, and instead concentrated on David.

He looked rather tired, was her first thought, but still very beautiful. It had been a handful of years since she'd seen him, and he'd clearly.. well, grown up a little. No longer quite so smooth of chin or clear of eye, but the hair was still sleekly blonde and he still possessed the same lean grace he'd had when she first met him. There was a sadness and solemnness to his demeanour that hadn't been quite so apparent before, and, suddenly, she felt foolish for thinking his grieving for Rush would ever have diminished.

"Mr David?" she ventured, stepping out of the shadows. He tilted his head to one side in greeting--she wondered if he was aware of the habit--and smiled.

"Irina," he said warmly. "Even in such unusual circumstances, it _is_ good to see you."

She nodded, and dropped her gaze to the flowers, clasping her hands in front of her. David's intense gaze always made her a little uncomfortable; Rush had joked that that the eye contact made people think David was sincere no matter what he said. Which was probably a good thing for a political leader, but in casual conversation it unnerved her.

"They're beautiful, Mr David."

"This flower is your favourite, is it not? I recall that R--" and he faltered slightly, and gestured vaguely at the purple blossoms, "--that you were fond of them."

She nodded. They stood in silence for a moment, awkwardly, and then David appeared to gather himself.

"Irina. We must discuss this ridiculous notion of our marriage; if only to agree that we are both opposed to the suggestion."

Irina hesitated a moment too long, trying to phrase a response, and David frowned at her.

"You _are_ opposed to it, I assume?"

She shrugged apologetically, and he gaped.

"Has everyone lost their minds?"

"Mr David," she began, and then paused. She realised that she did genuinely understand why Emmy wanted someone who knew David to be his wife. "There aren't many women you can actually consider marrying. Single noblewomen of childbearing age aren't common."

David blinked. "So Emmy informs me, but I don't see why--"

"I'm already your friend--and publically, your former ally. I don't have other political considerations or commitments. I'm young enough. And apparently Marshall blood is as good as nobility, if it becomes an issue."

"Irina, nobody knows you have Marshall blood. I promised Rush I wouldn't put you in danger. I won't break that promise."

"Now that there aren't any Remnants, my blood can't cause me peril. What use is my power going to be to anyone?"

David scowled, and pinched the bridge of his nose in a gesture Irina hadn't seen him make before. It was more.. defeated and weary than she'd seen before.

"Irina, what happened to being a normal girl? Don't you want a normal marriage? A normal life? You're a pretty enough girl; not that I'm much of a judge, I grant." He smiled weakly at her. "There must have been suitors for you on Eulam."

Irina sighed. "Mr Da--Lord David. Even on Eulam, people know I was involved with the defeat of the Conqueror. That scares most men off, and the ones who are left get all starry-eyed about the heroic past. It's nice of you to think that I'd have suitors worth marrying. But I don't, and I don't foresee that changing."

"That matter might change, given time."

"Perhaps."

"And you know I couldn't promise you love."

"I know. Have you considered other women you might marry? Who didn't know you--who thought you might end up loving them, just possibly?"

David stared at her for a moment, expressionless. Irina put her hand on his shoulder.

"Lord David, I wouldn't expect a normal marriage from you. But others--do you want a wife you'd have to pretend to be in love with? Or a wife who hoped you'd love her eventually? That's what most women would expect, isn't it?"

David drew himself upright, and looked grave. "Hardly. I would strive to be a good husband. Most noblewomen would be prepared for far less in a husband, I assure you."

Irina removed her hand, startled.

"I think you underestimate the extent to which nobles are raised to adhere to their duties," said David, sounding more certain of himself. "Duties which you do not have to assume, Irina. And you never did answer my question; don't you desire a normal marriage and a normal life for yourself?"

"I--"

"Instead, you come here and, what, sacrifice yourself to Athlum's future?" There was almost a sneer in his voice. "In memory of Rush, is that it?"

Irina, aghast, had no answer for him.

David stared at her for a second, and then turned and strode to the edge of the garden. He paused at the door for a moment, his hand half-way to the handle.

"My apologies, Irina. That was uncalled for."

Before she could summon a response, he had left.

----

Several days later, she was summoned to the library. David was seated at one of the vast desks in the center, poring over papers, and he waved at one of the nearby seats vaguely as she entered. Sitting, she tried to make out what he was reading--a list of names, from the looks of it.

He pushed the list towards her. "You were correct, it seems."

"Huh?"

"There are indeed not many women who are suitable marriage material. The choices left to me are minimal."

Irina glanced down at the list. Most of the names were struck-through, with small annotations next to them--too young, past child-bearing age, politically unviable.

She looked up at David, who had a strange, pained smile on his face. "This is even worse than Emmy said."

"Indeed. That list doesn't even exclude those I would personally find repellant."

She snorted at that, and looked down at the list again. It was plucked from beneath her, and David pressed another sheet into her hand. This list was far shorter.

"Those are the only realistic choices left to me--not in any particular order. The ones with a question mark are those I've never actually met."

"Lady Pygia? Countess Lavenford? I've never even _heard_ of some of these."

"Minor nobility, for the most part. Pagus was very thorough in his research. In many cases we're not even sure they're suitable, but the chance is there."

Irina saw her own name towards the bottom, as expected, and then another name she recognised leapt out at her. "Wait a moment--Emmy Honeywell?"

David sighed, looking as miserable as she'd ever seen. "Indeed. She's one of the better candidates, on paper. Now you understand why she was prepared to go to such lengths to find a more suitable alternative."

Irina considered that. Emmy'd never really discussed her feelings for David, but Irina had her suspicions. "Marrying her would be cruel."

"I concur. And marrying you would not?"

"No."

David stared at Irina for a moment longer, then nodded. "Then I rather think that makes your offer the best I am likely to have, Irina Sykes."

He rose, and held out his hand to her. She stood, and allowed him to pull her towards the window. The view before them was of Athlum, spread out serenely below.

"Athlum is my life, Irina. The needs of the citizenry come above my own. You will be expected to serve Athlum, as I do. Do not enter into this lightly."

"I--I understand."

"Very well."

----

They wed two seasons later. In the haze of ceremony, under an autumn sun, Irina and David kissed chastely under an arch of vines.

That night, Irina tried to ignore the sensation that she was betraying her brother more with every moment. David was gentle, but he did not hold her afterwards, and he would not feign a passion he did not feel.

It took several months--months of increasing frustration--for Irina to become verifiably pregnant. David was jubilant at the news. Irina was a little surprised that he did not immediately quit her bedchamber, though the polite distance between them at night became a gulf. It took a week of politely awkward goodnights before she realised that perhaps he was merely trying to avoid suspicious comment by the staff.

She took pity on him, and made enough of a fuss over her nausea to allow him a reasonable excuse to vacate her rooms.

The news of the future heir, made public a month or so later, was greeted with jubilation by the citizens of Athlum, and congratulations from other leaders slowly began to trickle in. Qubine, now a fey young man, visited Athlum and made polite noises of pleasure at them both. Irina thought he did a fine job of suppressing the curiosity he clearly felt about their marriage. She supposed he, too, would be under increasing pressure to wed and produce heirs in a few years. She hoped the marriage market was in a healthier position by that point.

Marina and John Sykes visited; Irina tried not to fret that they would be disappointed at her marriage. She did not for a moment think they would believe it was a marriage based on true love. They knew both her and David too well for that. She prepared herself for gentle questions, for direct probes, for any sign of disapproval.

Their genuine delight at the prospect of a grandchild seemed to win out over any such feeling, though Irina nearly kicked her father when he told David that it was an honour to finally have him legitimately be their son-in-law.

They avoided mention of Rush.

By the time Aethan Henri John Nassau made his entry into the world, Irina and David were firmly established in "their" new rooms--effectively two suites joined by a single internal door. The Sykes made their farewells and set off back to Eulam, and Marina hugged Irina closely and with a hint of pity before she left. Irina rather suspected that her mother had been waiting for some kind of confession of loneliness or unrequited love.

Amid the swirl of pageantry and gift-giving after the birth, Pagus briefly attempted to convince David and Irina that Aethan would welcome a sibling. He dropped the topic fairly swiftly when it became clear that neither of them were willing to contemplate that. One child was enough; one child fulfilled their obligation to Athlum.

In public they kept up their contented married facade. Irina discovered that she was quite content as the Marquess of Athlum. Aethan alone would have been enough to keep her heart full of joy, truth be told. And she found that she rather enjoyed being married to David, now that they did not have to deal with the physical side of a relationship. David was intelligent and courteous; he was a model of chivalry and attentiveness in public; he doted on Aethan. While he was not exactly the husband she would have once dreamed of, he was a good companion.

Her mother would be waiting a long time for any confession.

* * *

A/N: I have the next couple of chapters of this written already (and in beta). We shall see if posting some of what's done actually prompts me to get back to writing the rest!

(And because I'm sure it's worth mentioning: yes, I know this is marked Rush/David. Give it time.)


	2. Reunion

In times of peace, Ghor usually called Congress meetings once every few months. With what was very nearly civil war erupting in Undelwalt, there had been meant meetings every few weeks this year. David was usually required to attend every one nevertheless--Ghor, now crippled by joint aches, had come to rely on his judgement and strength more and more. This time, however, David had returned earlier than expected. The persistent rumours of a _Remnant_ in Fornstrand had finally pushed Ghor into ordering that David investigate in person.

Irina was startled to realise how concerned David was about this, and how much of his concern was related to her well-being. Until that point she'd been rather hoping that there was some truth in the rumours. People had relied on Remnants for a very long time; the absence was keenly felt. It hadn't really occurred to her that the return of any Remnants might put her at risk again from those wishing to abuse her power. If Aethan manifested any signs of Marion's blessing, he'd be even more at risk.

If Remnants _were_ returning. It was still only a rumour, she reassured herself.

"Irina. Are you _certain_ that you can't sense anything?"

"Nothing." She concentrated as she had before, concentrating her attention on Fornstrand. Patterns of light blossomed across her skin, to Aethan's obvious fascination. "I don't sense any Remnants at all, anywhere. If only we had that tracker.."

David frowned as Irina relinquished her power. "I don't like to doubt your ability, but Ghor is right. We shall have to investigate. Torgal, Irina--I shall leave Athlum in your capable hands. Blocter, Emmy, Pagus, begin preparations. We travel to Fornstrand as soon as possible."

"Yes, my Lord."

Irina exchanged a quick glance with Torgal. "David, I'm coming too."

"Are you serious? What about Aethan?"

"He'll have to come along--no, don't argue, David, you yourself said how worried you were about kidnapping. I'm not leaving him behind. He and I are safer with you than without you."

"Lady Irina is correct, Lord David. Marion's blessing may be of use to you if the rumours are true, and I am content to protect Athlum alone."

"If you're both certain, then I suppose I had better not argue. Very well then."

---

Fornstrand's furthest reaches proved to hold shards of a glowing, twisted stone. The Marshall tablet remained dull and lifeless, not evincing even a flicker of a response. Irina exerted her power as far as she dared, but still felt not the slightest hint of _Remnant_. David, clearly frustrated, extended his hand and closed his eyes, clearly attempting to _bind_ the nonresponsive rock. Irina barely had time to be annoyed at him--he'd been bound to a Remnant which drained his soul with each use, he should know better than to be so reckless--before he lowered his hand and shook his head.

"Nothing."

Aethan, in Emmy's arms, reached out a hand, clearly emulating the gestures both his parents had made. Emmy gathered the child closer to her, pulling his arm back down. He struggled to be let down, and Emmy carefully lowered him onto the sandy floor, making an apologetic face.

"It's fine, Emmy. This thing is--well, it's not a Remnant. I'm not certain what it is." David leaned in and inspected the streaks of pulsing luminescence, so reminiscent of a Remnant's, that scored the surface of the largest shard. "It does have a feeling of power to it, though."

"Magick, perhaps?" Pagus ventured.

"Perhaps. Well, we can't transport it with us. I daren't touch it without further study. I suppose we shall have to leave it here."

Pagus looked thoughtful. "Lady Irina, do you suppose your parents might consent to study this?"

"I'm sure they'd be delighted."

"Then that's settled. We shall--"

Around them, everything _rippled_. Irina heard Aethan giggle delightedly. She turned towards her son, readying herself to leap in front of him.

And then there was a familiar voice, behind her--

"Irina? Dave?"

--and the world steadied. The stone fragments pulsed gently.

"Damn, it _worked_!"

She span around. Her cry echoed David's.

"Rush!"

It _was_ Rush. She felt Marion's Blessing ripple gently through her, the gentle rustling of awareness that had alerted her to Rush's true nature in the first place. He still looked so _young_; younger than her now. Was that because he was a Remnant? Or had time not passed for him?

He beamed at her, at David, at the generals, and then spread his arms wide. "It really worked!" He laughed exultantly, and then pounced forward, clasping Irina into a bear-hug.

"Sis, you look all grown-up. Man, how long was I gone?"

"Y-years--" she managed. He released her and turned to David, gripping him by both shoulders.

"Dave! Man, you too. How many years?"

David lifted one hand, shakily, and clasped Rush's arm. "Nine years. Is that really you, Rush?"

"Of course it's me, Dave! Nine YEARS?" Rush stood back, and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess I shouldn't have taken the scenic route back, huh?"

David stared for a moment, and then snapped. "Where the _hell_ have you been, Rush?"

Rush opened his eyes wide, as Blocter stumbled forward from behind Irina, grabbing Rush into a bear-hug. "Rush!"

"Blocter! Awesome to see you!" Rush grinned goofily as he managed to free himself from the Yama's arms. "Where are--Pagus! Emmy! What, did you leave Torgal in Athlum?"

Pagus nodded cheerfully, as Rush clasped his hand. "He's keeping an eye on the city defenses."

"Rush--the scenic route back from where?" asked Emmy, curiously, extending her arm over Aethan's head.

"The Sacred Lands. Sort of, anyway. Wait, Emmy, is this--did you have a child?" said Rush, blinking down at Aethan in shock. Emmy shook her head, and gestured towards Irina.

"He's mine, Rush," she said, and Rush _gaped_ at her.

"You _were_ gone quite a while," said Pagus, blinking up at Rush.

"You're kidding me? So this guy's my nephew? Awesome!" Rush picked up Aethan, and said, "Hey, little 'un! I'm your uncle Rush!"

Aethan giggled.

"He's gorgeous, sis. So who's the lucky guy?"

"I am," said David, quietly. Rush's jaw dropped again, and David stepped forward and took his son from Rush's unresisting arms. "He's my son, Rush. Mine and Irina's."

"You _were_ gone quite a while."

"You guys had a kid? You guys are _married_?" Rush asked, staring at David's hand, and the wedding bands he wore. "Whoa. That's.. insane!"

"We've been married for several years, Rush."

"That's--you guys aren't kidding, are you?" Rush shook his head, looking dazed. "Sorry, this is a bit much to take in."

David stroked Aethan's hair, and gave Irina a pleading look she couldn't quite decipher. "I imagine so."

"Anything else you wanna tell me, let me get all my heart attacks out of the way at once?"

"You're accusing _us_ of surprising _you_?"

The stones behind Rush flared brightly for a second, startling everyone.

"Clearly, this is not the place for this conversation. Let us all return to Athlum, immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

---

Rush, Irina noticed, didn't answer any questions about what exactly he'd been doing for the past nine years, or how he'd returned. Pagus wanted to know how the Sacred Lands had survived the destruction of the Remnant Elysion, but Rush claimed he had no idea, and diverted the conversation to everything he'd missed. He seemed fascinated by the events in Royotia, and by the news of the dissolution of the Academy.

He didn't appear to want to talk about Irina and David's marriage either. Irina briefly attempted to discuss the situation between her and David, but Rush had swiftly interrupted her explanation to ask about their parents. It was remarkably frustrating. Rush had taken the first opportunity he could to cut that conversation short, too. In her tent that evening, David admitted that Rush had completely avoided him all day, and so he hadn't had the chance to explain things either.

"I fear he's unwilling to talk to either of us right now," David said plaintively.

Irina closed the tent flap that separated Aethan's crib from her bed, and sighed.

"I can understand his shock."

"Well, so can I. Of course I can. But to not even discuss it?"

"He's _hurt_, David. I don't think he's actually been away as long as he has from our side, if you know what I mean. Did you notice how young he looks? He wasn't expecting either of us to be married, or to have had children. Let alone with each other."

David bowed his head.

"Give him time. He'll come to terms with it once he understands the reasoning." She put her hand on his shoulder, and he raised his head in surprise. "It's not like we rushed headlong into a wedding the week after the Remnants vanished."

David smiled wryly. "I hope you're right."

She drew him into a hug, and felt him stiffen in surprise at the unaccustomed contact. "He loves you," she murmured into his ear. "He'll forgive you."

He briefly squeezed his arms around her. "Thank you, Irina."

She let him draw away, and smiled softly. "Go find him. He's had time to brood now, and he'll talk to you before he'll talk to me."

"I... thank you."

David left the tent, and Irina found herself suddenly wistful. Surprised, she prodded gently at her own reaction. Was she _jealous_?

Rush's return, despite all the complications it caused, had rejuvenated David. He'd always been charismatic and vibrant, but haunted by all the grief he'd experienced. This evening, he'd looked.. more alive, somehow. She'd rarely seen him so unshadowed, barring a few moments around Aethan.

Irina shook her head, firmly. She _was_ happy for him--for both of them. It was understandable that she'd long for that kind of connection for herself, wasn't it? This wasn't jealousy, it was envy. It must be wonderful to have someone care so deeply about you.

She peered through the tent flap at her sleeping son. At least she had one person who needed her around no matter what.

---

Rush, meanwhile, was pacing furiously around the camp edge. The tents were set up in a series of clearings within a forest, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the trees were moving at the edge of his vision.

So Dave and Irina were married.

Ok, so it had been a very long time, or at least apparently it had been for everyone except him, and there'd been no reason to expect him to return. But to marry, and have a child, and be so obviously a family together?

He couldn't tell if he was angrier at Dave or Irina. Dave, probably. Irina'd had a crush of some sort on David way back when anyway. Whereas he wouldn't have thought Dave would have even noticed Irina that way. Most of the time he didn't notice girls at all. So why the hell would he have gotten married?

He nodded absently at a soldier on patrol as they passed.

And they had a child. A son.

Why would they have married? It wasn't like either of them were the type to do something that important without good reason. But the only reasons Rush could think of were stupid, elaborate ones involving them being forced into it against their wills. Maybe he should let them explain to him; both of them had clearly wanted to try to talk to him about it. But what if the answer was as simple as just falling in love? He didn't think he could handle that. If Dave was in love with Irina now...

Stupid, stupid, stupid. He'd struggled to return, fought so hard to come _home_. And home couldn't really be home without a pair of bright amused eyes that held his gaze a little too long, or soft blond hair that felt silky to his touch, or hungry parting kisses that haunted him for days. All those things belonged to Irina now, and that _stung_.

"Rush?" David asked softly, emerging from the shadows ahead of Rush.

Damn, David did have impeccable timing. Rush tried to keep his expression casual as David approached to within an arm's length. Closer than Rush now felt comfortable with, all things considered. _Play it cool. Don't let him know you're hurt._ David tilted his head inquisitively, as if to say something, and Rush felt his stomach twist in anticipation.

David didn't speak, however. Instead, he placed both his hands on Rush's shoulders and pulled him firmly into an embrace. Rush felt his resistance crumple--who was he fooling here? He wrapped his arms around David and buried his head in Dave's shoulder, taking comfort in his scent, his _presence_. David rested his head gently against Rush's. The two men stood for a while, arms encircling one another, barely moving.

"I missed you," said David eventually.

"I missed you too, Dave." Rush lifted his head, and reluctantly unclasped his arms from around David's waist, conscious that he had _no right_ to be holding Dave that closely. "I mean, I missed all of you guys."

David stepped back, very deliberately, and looked thoughtfully at Rush.

"Rush, I _must_ tell you that I did not marry Irina for love."

Rush felt a surge of conflicting emotions. He swallowed, and said carefully, "uh, tell me there's a good reason, then, or I'm going to have to be mad at you for taking advantage of my sister."

"Please, don't think ill of me. Or of Irina. Athlum must have an heir."

_What?_

"And you married _Irina_ for that? She's my _sister_."

David closed his eyes briefly. "We both took some convincing, Rush. But it's a good match."

Rush snorted.

"Dave, you could have married any girl in Athlum. Or in the known world."

"Alas, that's not true. We investigated. Most of the suitable ones would be purely a political match, at best. Irina is a _friend_, and she _offered_, and she knows what to expect of our marriage."

_Huh?_

"What do you mean, what to expect?"

David gave him one of those long, unreadable looks. "Rush, since Aethan--since before he was born, Irina and I haven't even shared rooms."

Rush ducked his head, and rubbed at the back of his neck, flushing a little.

"Oh. Y'know, that's kind of dreadful. You're married."

"Neither of us wanted more than what we have from this marriage." David smiled, suddenly. "Not to imply that Aethan--he's wonderful, Rush. I never knew how wondrous a child would be; I confess I had thought only of an heir in the abstract sense right up until I was presented with him."

"Huh. He is kinda adorable, I gotta admit."

"He's beautiful. He's surprisingly smart too. I think he will grow up to be a fine man."

Rush couldn't help but smile at the obvious pride in David's voice.

"I think he'll be alright. I bet you're a great father, Dave."

David looked pleased, and then tilted his head at Rush. "How long were you gone?"

"Huh? Nine years, you said."

David waved his hand dismissively. "I meant, how long did it feel like to you? Irina said she didn't think it was very long, and you certainly don't look nine years older than you used to."

Rush shrugged. "I dunno. And I don't know where it was either, really--it looked like the Sacred Lands, but that doesn't mean it really was. It didn't feel like years went by. But it didn't feel like no time either, y'know? I knew I'd been there a while."

David pulled a wry face. "I missed you a great deal. I wish--I do wish you'd been here, Rush. If you had been, I would have made some very different choices in my life. I don't regret Aethan.."

Rush nodded, shivering slightly in anticipation as David stepped closer to him.

"I know."

"..but I _wanted_ this."

David slowly pushed Rush back against the nearest tree and kissed him with great deliberation, as though still uncertain that Rush was really there. Rush snaked a hand behind David's neck, and pulled his head around into a slightly less awkward angle as he allowed David to deepen the kiss. David's hands stopped pushing, and grasped Rush's shirt, drawing their bodies closer.

Rush broke the kiss after a few minutes, and lifted his hand to stroke along David's jawline in amusement. "It's gonna take me a while to get used to you having _stubble_. I guess it really has been a while, huh?"

David laughed, and pulled away regretfully. "We shouldn't continue this, not here."

"Yeah, you're right." Rush coughed a little, and tried to adjust himself to make his arousal a little less obvious. "I should feel terrible about kissing you at all. You're married to my sister. You're my _brother-in-law_."

David nodded. "That's.. that is not going to change any time soon, Rush."

"I know. You've got Aethan to think of."

"And I won't lie to Irina."

"Good. We shouldn't do _anything_ until you two have talked about it. It's not fair on her."

"Agreed. Good night, Rush."

"Good night, Dave."

---

Irina could tell that _something_ had passed between Rush and David as soon as David entered her tent the next morning. She gently asked her maid to wait outside for a while.

"Irina," David began as soon as they were alone, looking simultaneously joyful and slightly embarrassed.

She held up a hand to forestall him. "I don't want all the details, David. I assume he forgave you, then?"

He blinked, looking slightly affronted. "I admit we kissed, Irina. But nothing more. Neither of us thought it right to do more without consulting your feelings on the matter."

She smiled, suddenly amused. "Are you asking my _permission_, David?"

He blushed, but didn't drop his gaze from hers.

"You are, aren't you?" She looked down, and bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't want to prevent either of you being happy--but for Aethan's sake, please be discreet?"

David nodded gravely, and then took one of her hands. "I am glad I married you, Irina."

She pulled her hand back, and cuffed him gently. "You should be. Go. Be happy."

He smiled gratefully at her, and almost _sprinted_ out of her tent. She sighed, and returned to her packing.

---

They reached Athlum that afternoon. Pagus pulled Rush aside as the scouts ahead hailed the gatekeepers.

"We may need to do something about your appearance, Rush. I don't suppose it's occurred to Lord David, but nobody really kept it a secret that you were a Remnant after that day in Elysion. I know it's been a long time, but you were well-known in Athlum and you look much the same as you did then; you'll be recognised."

"You think so?" Rush looked down at himself. "What do you think people will do if they know I'm back?"

"Who knows what the reaction might be? I'd rather not find out until we have to." Pagus thoughtfully tapped the side of his mouth. "Perhaps we can borrow a soldier's helmet for now; that should obscure your face enough. Still, that's only going to be a temporary solution. A lot of people saw you reappear in Fornstrand. We can't really stop the news getting out."

Rush nodded. "We'll think of something. Until we do, I'll try to stay out of the way."

"A wise idea."

Torgal was gratifyingly astonished when Rush casually entered the audience chamber. Rush was treated to that rarest of events; a four-armed Sovani hug. Later, after everyone had dined, Rush cheerfully played dumb in response to the general's discreet queries about what his reappearance would mean for David. After a few deflected queries, Torgal leaned back and glared at Rush.

"I have grown fond of your sister, Rush. I trust you will not do anything to cause her distress."

"Of course I won't. Dave already talked to her about us."

"I expected nothing less. And I also expect she told him she didn't object."

"..Yeah."

"Very well then." Torgal's scowl softened somewhat. "Truly, Rush, I am glad to see you back, even if you do complicate matters."

---

Later yet, David carefully let himself into Rush's new rooms. As Irina's brother, Rush could reasonably--and conveniently--be expected to have rooms in the same area of the palace. Rush was lying on the couch in the outer room, staring up at the painted ceiling, when David entered.

"Hey, Dave," he said distractedly. "These rooms are awesome. This ceiling--is that Melphina? It's beautiful."

David took the hint, and sat next to Rush on the couch, craning his neck to see. "Yes, the Blue Elf. I hadn't realised that was in this particular room; most of the rooms in this wing have murals on the ceilings. I think my grandfather commissioned them."

Rush shifted so his head was resting on David's lap. David hesitated briefly, and then ran a hand through Rush's hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. Rush closed his eyes in contentment at the caress, and after a while sighed and snuggled up closer to David's leg. David chuckled gently.

"What?" asked Rush, not offended in the slightest.

"I'd forgotten how much I missed just this. Just sitting with you."

"Yeah, me too." Rush opened one eye, and squinted up at David apologetically. "Sorry. You were probably expecting me to jump you as soon as you walked in the door, huh?"

David made a dismissive gesture with his free hand. "No matter. You're probably exhausted; Torgal was quizzing you quite thoroughly at dinner." He shifted a little, and winced as tired muscles complained. "I confess, I'm not exactly at my most energetic either."

Rush pulled a rueful face, and with a great show of effort, sat upright. He stretched, luxuriantly, and then stood, holding a hand out to David.

David took it, a little surprised, and let Rush tug him to his feet.

"Dave.. can you stay here with me tonight? I know you spoke to Irina, but.."

David looked cautious. "I did promise her we'd be discreet. For Aethan's sake. She was otherwise pleased for us, I think."

"I guess you spending the first night back here in my bed isn't really that discreet, huh."

"Probably not, alas."

Rush pulled an exaggeratedly disappointed moue, and then laughed as David raised an unconvinced eyebrow at the expression.

"Fine, I won't ask you to stay."

"I wish I could."

Rush yawned, and eyed the door to his bedchamber guiltily. David grinned, and pushed him gently in that direction.

"Go to sleep, lazy one. I will see you in the morning."

"Promise?"

"I promise." David gently kissed Rush on the cheek, and pushed him more forcefully towards his bed. "Pleasant dreams, Rush."

* * *

  
A/N: Enough tweaking, I'm posting this damned chapter. Next chapter will probably be up in a week or so.


	3. Reminiscence

David had spent nearly an hour poring over some of the more _obscure_ contingency plans that Athlum had at hand. While there wasn't quite anything designed for this situation, there were certainly some plans that could be adapted.

The soldiers and servants were, of course, under oaths of secrecy. That didn't guarantee their discretion, but it would surely help. The Union of the Golden Chalice was to be flooded with new tasks, ones with generous rewards but that would require extended journeys. Rumours would soon spring up in the Warrior's Honour of opportunities around Melphina to help clear out the remaining monster nests in Crookfen and Berechevaltelle. The Ring of the Labyrinth's office would _shut down_, temporarily relocating to Celepalais. David didn't dare enquire too deeply into the methods Torgal intended to employ to accomplish that feat.

David scowled faintly at the list of names he'd assembled. Rush was memorable; even if the most of the usual mercenaries were distracted elsewhere, there were simply too many possibilities for Rush to encounter others who might recognise him in Athlum. They couldn't expect Rush to stay confined to the castle for long. Maybe they could alter Rush's appearance somehow?

This was all terribly inconvenient timing, no matter how excited he was to see Rush again. He really shouldn't be spending so much time trying to cushion the shocks that Rush's return would cause. Events in Unterwalt were reaching crisis point, and Ghor was pressuring David for any solutions he could propose. Closer to home, David needed to finalise border arrangements that had been in flux for a year or so. _That_ was becoming quite urgent, and he had a meeting about it scheduled in a matter of hours.

He set aside the list of names with a sigh, and diligently turned his attention to the border maps, matching them against the survey reports he'd requested. The sea coast to the north of Athlum was now largely free of major fiend nests. While it was neither particularly fertile nor profitable for trade, it was nevertheless an area he was unwilling to sacrifice--and he certainly wasn't going to relinquish as much towards the northeast. He eyed the map thoughtfully. Perhaps Qubine would be willing to offer his advice--and perhaps also cede some land to this project, more importantly. If Qubine knew what David was concealing from him, on the other hand, he would be far less inclined to assist Athlum.

Rush again. It was really very hard not to let his thoughts drift back to that. His reappearance made the past decade feel oddly distant and unreal; how could it possibly be so long? He stared down at the papers in front of him. He tried to recall the various borders as they had looked a decade ago, and could only recall Athlum's own changes. Time had rendered so many things unrecognisable.

David sighed, and felt his own jawline ruefully. The stubble Rush had laughed at would be a problem for him too soon enough, but for now--if it weren't _Rush_, David would feel rather foolish for letting his eye even linger on someone that much younger. Was it ridiculous to hope that a relationship could survive that sort of disparity?

But, well, it _was_ Rush, and that would make it work if anything would.

David set down his pen, sighing. This was ludicrous. He wasn't a teenager any more, and he should be able to concentrate. Still, he'd spent nearly a decade trying not to let himself think about Rush too often. Perhaps he should spare himself a moment to just drift in idle memory.

The first thing he'd noticed, when he'd first seen Rush, was that Rush was quite the most attractive man David had encountered in a while. He'd felt rather guilty about being so shallow, even as he'd expressed his pleasure that Emma was safe. He'd done rather a spectacularly bad job of disguising his intense curiosity about the young man with her, or so Emma had tartly informed him later on. Rush's complete inability to be appropriately formal had served both to startle and charm David. He'd let that influence his decisions and actions to a degree that wasn't entirely justifiable by Rush's family connections.

Torgal, peculiarly, had been both amused and supportive when he'd confessed. He'd finally accepted that his judgment was far from impartial when it came to Rush, and somehow telling _Emma_ about it had seemed.. awkward. Torgal, after some thought, asserted that David was sensible and old enough not to be unduly ruled by his desires, and to trust in his own judgment. After extracting a promise that Torgal would _inform_ him if he thought David was being foolhardy, David had felt far less torn about offering to aid Rush in his search.

And Rush had proved to be a invaluable ally--and a friend.

Rush was easy to befriend, in all honesty. Rush _assumed_ everyone was fundamentally decent and interesting, and people seemed to want to live up to his expectations; even the ragtag gang of mercenaries Rush hired had turned out to be absurdly loyal and steadfast. Inspiring that sort of sentiment so offhandedly was a rare gift. David had been trained to lead all his life, and was fully aware of how much effort went into asserting his own authority without being heavyhanded. He'd envied Rush's apparently natural ability as soon as it became apparent how compelling--and skillful--he was as a commander.

Placing Rush in charge of some of Athlum's troops had been as self-serving as it was generous. It aligned Rush visibly with Athlum's interests and often allowed David to utilise the assorted skills of Rush's hired mercenaries to boot. That it also allowed him to spend so much time in Rush's company--inside and outside battle--was a delightful bonus.

David, despite his attraction, had just assumed that Rush preferred women--there'd been little evidence to support any theories to the contrary. It had been a strange thrill, one quiet evening in David's rooms, to realise that he'd taken Rush's hand when explaining some point of magickal theory, and that Rush's fingers had eagerly interlaced with his own as if--well, as if he'd hoped for such a chance to occur. David's explanation had stuttered into wordlessness, and Rush released his hand after a long moment. They'd resumed the conversation easily enough at the time, but David had spent a while privately reassessing what he knew of Rush's interest in women. It had been only mildly surprising, a few evenings later, when Rush had claimed exhaustion and slumped against David's side on the couch. He offhandedly excused himself with a comment that Dave's shoulder made an 'awesome' pillow to rest his head on. Closing his eyes and resting his head against Rush's, David took Rush's hand again, tentatively. When Rush merely sighed and curled up closer, David grew bolder, dragging his thumb in slow patterns on Rush's palm.

They had stayed like that, Rush's breath slow and warm against David's neck, until David had mapped every callus on Rush's hand. When he had finally dared turn his head to look at Rush, Rush had kissed him. It had been somewhat clumsy, as kisses went--both of them were nervous and rather inexperienced, after all--but it had felt _right_.

The generals had reacted much as David had expected when--a few days later--he had informed them of the budding relationship. Emma had snorted, told him it was about time, and scolded him for thinking any of them would think ill of him. Blocter had been cheerfully delighted, announcing that anyone who made the young master happy was just fine by him. Torgal had rested a hand wordlessly on David's shoulder, but his lack of objection was approval enough. Pagus had been the lone voice of caution--while he liked Rush a great deal, there would inevitably be significant repercussions if David intended to make the partnership permanent in the future.

Emma had talked about adoption and surrogacy and branch lines of the Nassau family until Pagus had agreed that none of the immediate obstacles were insurmountable. There was, however, a consensus that the relationship could not be made public, at least not for some time. Athlum's people were, by world standards, generous and loyal and tolerant--or so David liked to think. Still, even he conceded that there would be some disaffection if he were to openly flout convention by romancing a man, and he'd also heard the sneering comments at Congress when there'd been suspicion of Hermeien's tastes being similarly counter to the norm.

David would certainly hate to be compared to Hermeien.

Rush, when David asked, admitted that he'd expected to have to keep things secret; he might have been politically naive but he wasn't stupid. He'd seemed amenable enough, after some initial uncertainty on where their public boundaries should be. David rather thought that he had a harder time dealing with the secrecy than Rush did.

They'd managed to be relatively discreet, at the expense of spending quite as much time together as either would have liked. Certain of the castle staff had to have been aware of what was going on, and Rush's family had definitely known--Rush's father had given David a rather knowing look even at their first meeting, and Marina seemed to regard him as part of their extended family. David had been a little embarrassed that the relationship had been that transparent to them, but relieved that they seemed so tolerant.

Lord, Rush's family. They would surely have to be alerted of their son's return, but telling them would raise a whole new sheaf of issues. David made a mental note to ask Rush what his wishes were. He would rather not try to hide anything from the Sykes, and certainly Irina would object to not telling her parents the truth. David did not relish the thought of the inevitable delicate conversation they would begin about the relationships involved, however. What would Rush want him to say?

He dismissed the thought. There was little point in dwelling on that now, when the situation was so new. He'd wager Rush was doing enough navel-gazing for both of them right now. Not that he begrudged that; Rush had a lot to deal with right now.

As did Athlum, and he had a duty to attend to. Enough indulgence. He forced his attention back to the border maps again, sparing only a moment's further thought to wonder what Rush was doing.

---

Rush really didn't remember David having to spend so much time occupied with meetings and paperwork. He wondered if there was more bureacracy involved these days--Athlum seemed busier and larger than Rush recalled, so it would sort of make sense for it to take more management. Whatever the reason, it looked as though Rush was going to have to spend his first full day in Athlum without David around to keep him company.

Rush stayed out of the way, as he'd promised. He sparred with Blocter for a while in the early morning; later on he accompanied the castle steward down to the storage rooms to see what of his old possessions might be worth retrieving. In the end, the steward suggested they just send up to his room anything that had been marked with his name.

Most of the remainder of Rush's day was spent, well, brooding. After David's reassurances the previous day, it had all seemed straightforward enough--they were in love, they weren't deceiving Irina. And it had felt so comfortable to just be with David again. After a full night's sleep, however, Rush's concerns had returned in force. David had seemed to assume that if Irina didn't object, then that was the end of the entire problem. Except it couldn't actually be as simple as all that. There was a kid to consider; Aethan might be too young to understand now, but what about when he was older? And wouldn't there still be issues politically?

Besides, Rush had been rather content being what he was to David before. Lover, companion, friend, advisor, warrior. Now he was also the guy that David was cheating on his wife with. He was the guy that his sister's husband was in love with. How were you supposed to deal with a change like that?

Eager for a distraction, Rush sorted through the motley stacks of objects that had been stored away for him, now heaped untidily on his table and chairs. It looked like someone with a fair streak of sentimentality had assembled the bulk of this collection--Blocter, perhaps, or David himself--when he'd vanished. For instance, here was that sword he'd first found in Blackdale with Emma. It was almost unrecognisable, having been upgraded so often that it probably didn't _really_ qualify as the same sword any more. Strange to find it here. Here, too, was the first coat David had given him, the collar and straps somewhat tattered around the edges. The flag attached to it was still clearly identifiable, and Rush stroked it gently. Eulam's flag.

_"You were not of Athlum, and I didn't wish to offend you by suggesting you were beholden to us,"_ David had said when Rush asked about it, several months later. _"In retrospect, perhaps I should have been bolder in staking my claim."_

That was when he'd first told David that Athlum had become his home. He would have gladly worn Athlum's colours if David had just asked him to.

Rush folded the coat carefully. He couldn't wear this--or the one he'd been wearing on his return, which was in even worse condition--without being easily recognised, but he wasn't going to throw them out. He dug around in the pile again, and found a small, plain box he didn't remember owning.

Sitting on the couch, he opened it. A single dried flower lay inside atop a small bundle of papers.

_Oh, man. Dave, you kept these?_

This was every message he'd ever written to David, as far as Rush could tell. There weren't many, since they'd rarely been apart long enough to need to write to one another.

David had used the term 'plausibly deniable' years before, after the first couple of times they'd kissed. Rush had been worried about how people would react if they realised what was going on. He had suggested that perhaps they shouldn't spend too much time together in front of other people, since he figured they were probably pretty obvious. David was of the opinion that, on the contrary, people would be _more_ suspicious if they suddenly stopped being as conspicuously friendly. _'People notice when things change, Rush. And we were rather affectionate merely as friends. Unless you wish us to feign an argument--but then we'd have to explain why you're staying here in Athlum.'_ He'd smiled, amused. _'It will be far easier to tell people that they are merely reading too much into what they see, as long as we don't do anything too blatant or unusual._

'_No holding hands in public, check. No obviously checking out your ass where other people might see, also check.'_

'_No kissing me in the audience chamber,'_ David had said archly.

'_Man, you spoil all my fun.'_

Rush had thought that anything written down was way too risky, all the same. And so, David's letters to him were affectionate and relaxed, while Rush's tended to be either very formal or vague to the point of meaninglessness. Now, seeing how David had hung onto them for so long, Rush wished he'd been a bit less careful. David had even kept one letter that amounted to little more than a request for accommodation for Rush's parents. Not one of these notes said how much David actually meant to him. He'd never even signed them with anything less formal than his full name.

Rush carefully replaced everything back in the box, wondering exactly when David had sent these down to storage. Before the wedding? When Aethan was born? He set the box on a side table for later--perhaps David would like to see them again--and returned to sorting through the piles.

More of his clothes, more of his weapons. Visistones from his parents and Irina, and one that showed Eulam's western cliffs. Various orbs and gewgaws and trinkets. And then, an unmarked visistone, carefully stowed inside a leather pouch.

Curious, Rush set it up and watched the recording. It was just part of a strategy conference for a skirmish--him and the generals and a map, with David just on the edge of the field of vision. The battle was near Balterossa somewhere, from the sound of it. Rush didn't recall the event particularly well, so it must have been relatively routine. They'd recorded some of their strategy meetings in lieu of keeping paper notes; the visistones were usually wiped after the battle so they could be reused.

He watched it over again, and this time noticed why this one might have been retained. About halfway through, Rush had placed his hand on David's arm at a mention of the Gae Bolg, and he'd smiled at David in a way that was--in intent, anyway--both reassuring and protective. David had covered Rush's hand with his own, and smiled back fondly for a moment. A matter of a few seconds contact, really. Nothing that could be considered hard evidence of a physical relationship, but it was about as overt as they got in front of other people.

The visistone came to an end, and Rush pushed it back into the pouch, thinking hard.

He'd been vaguely wondering, in the back of his head, if the _honourable_ thing to do would be to leave Athlum entirely. It wasn't like it was appealing, but it seemed like an option that made sense. He wasn't stupid enough to think that he could stay here and not want to be with David, even assuming that David would permit that. Rush could earn enough money as a mercenary to get along okay if he really had to, and if he stayed out of the main cities and moved often then it would be hard to track him down.

Running away really didn't feel like an honourable choice when he thought about David rewatching this visistone and re-reading those letters. Even if he'd sent everything down to storage straight after that final battle with the Conqueror, the idea that he'd kept them at all made Rush's heart ache a little.

Right then. Time to split up the problems here--thinking about this as a choice between David and Irina's happiness was getting him nowhere.

The first issue was how he felt about David being married at all. If his wife had not been _Irina_, just some random politically-suitable woman who'd apparently given her okay, would Rush still be dithering?

Probably not. David wasn't the type to do this sort of thing lightly. David had been pretty certain that she wouldn't object even before he'd spoken to her about it, and he probably knew Irina better than Rush did these days. Besides, Rush wasn't used to thinking of himself as more ethical than David; honestly, he'd generally have assumed David's justification for _anything_ was likely to be pretty decent in the past. If it hadn't been _Irina_, Rush thought he would have reconciled himself to the situation already.

So that left the second point. Irina.

If Rush had discovered that Irina's husband was cheating on her--assuming that the husband wasn't _David_ and he wasn't cheating _with Rush_--how would he have reacted?

With horror; he'd have itched to punch the man, probably. And if Irina had said that she didn't mind, and that it was with another guy, and that their relationship had only ever been a convenience? He'd have told her she was mad, complained bitterly--to David, probably--about the situation, and quietly hated his new brother-in-law. No matter what justifications he heard.

Rush sighed. Well, he really needed to talk to Irina, since that was the issue here. There wasn't much point in putting it off any longer.

He was halfway to her rooms when the messenger caught up with him.

"Your presence is requested in the library, Sir Rush. Urgently, sir."

---

"Rush! There you are."

Rush lifted his hand in greeting, confused. David and Irina and the four Generals were sitting around one of the large tables, papers scattered across the surface as if they'd been flung there in anger. Emmy beckoned him over.

David looked up from the letter he was reading, and set it down carefully. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully before he spoke, and his irritation was clear when he did.

"Lord Qubine appears to have been alerted to your return."

From the silence around the table, Rush knew that he wasn't expected to be glad about that. He asked anyway.

"Is that so bad?"

"He's furious that I didn't inform him myself; he's insistent that we inform Ghor and the rest of the Congress immediately. He insinuates heavily that your reappearance might spark a war between the lords."

Rush sat down with a thud.

Torgal leaned back in his chair, and said, "We are looking into the security breach, I can assure you of that."

"It's a little late for that now." Pagus's eyes narrowed as he turned to Rush. "The only thing I can think of that might mollify him is an explanation of where you've been for the past decade."

_Oh, no._ "I--I can't."

David stretched across the table, and placed his hand over Rush's. "Anything you can tell us might be of use, Rush."

Rush stared at David's hand, the wedding bands glinting slightly from beneath the edge of the glove. There was an awkward silence in the room. Rush fought down the urge to tug his hand out from under David's, but something must have shown on his face nevertheless: David pulled his hand away abruptly, flushing a little.

"You were in the Sacred Lands, you said," said Irina, with a determined edge to her voice.

"You really wanna know? Fine," Rush snapped. "It _looked_ like the Sacred Lands. The ones under Unterwalt, at any rate."

"_Like_?"

"Yeah. It was kinda dark though, and hot, and there were all these voices yelling."

He was expecting interruptions and requests to be clearer. Instead, he sat there, staring at his own hands, as he tried to explain what he remembered. Once he'd started, it wasn't as hard as he'd expected it to be. The events he remembered were very disjointed, missing vital connections and explanations.

He remembered a conversation, and making a decision to return. He remembered a blinding flash, and a dull aching pain, and then.. he had been alone.

The Sacred Lands had seemed to drift in and out of existence. When they were solid, the paths were often full of fiends. He'd been left for dead a hundred times after battles, beaten and bloodied and torn but somehow still clinging onto life. At times, when the Sacred Lands had... faded, there'd been nothing but light and air around him, lonely and void. Those had been the good times.

In the end, after innumerable dead ends and backtrackings, he'd found a teleporter. It was black and unresponsive, but it was a thread of hope to cling to. He'd tried to fuel it through magick, and then through various objects hacked from the fiends who roamed the area; each time his attempts had failed. In the end, he'd managed to bind his talisman to the device--he still didn't quite know how, but it had provided the spark that set the teleporter moving, before the talisman had shattered. He'd blacked out for a little at that point. When consciousness had returned, he'd stared at the spinning contraption for who knows how long before he'd dared to touch it. The Sacred Lands had started to flicker, as it did before it faded out sometimes. He'd panicked, and triggered the teleporter.

And he'd found himself stumbling out in front of familiar faces in Fornstrand, exhilarated by freedom.

He stopped talking, exhausted. They knew this part already. None of them _said_ anything, though. He glanced up to see--as he'd feared--mingled expressions of concern, horror and pity.

Pagus was the first to speak, a few painful moments later. "Well, that was illuminating. Still, unlikely to go down well with Qubine."

"Sorry," muttered Rush. Without looking across the table, he could feel David's exasperated look.

"Rush, don't apologise. Still, it is true that there's very little which anyone would be happy to hear in there. I do not know what I can say to Qubine at this point."

Blocter scratched his head. "I guess the Remnants ain't coming back ever."

"It does seem possible that theirs were the voices Rush heard. I wonder if it would be possible to reverse that teleporter journey from Fornstrand?"

"How? We ain't got a teleporter this side."

None of them tried to stop Rush as he stood and left the room, leaving them to their discussion. He heard the door open behind him as he took a few deep breaths, and turned to see.. Irina, somewhat to his surprise.

"Rush?"

"Irina, please don't make me talk about it any more, okay?"

"That's okay." She clasped her hands behind her back, and gave him a careful look. "I needed to talk about something else anyway."

Rush stared at Irina, and then sighed. "Are you gonna ask me about Dave?"

She nodded, and Rush scratched at the back of his head, fumbling for words.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What?" Irina seemed to find the question funny, to Rush's surprise. "You think I'd be angry?"

"C'mon, you aren't _really_ okay with.. with me and him?"

She stared at him, still amused. "Sometimes you're such an idiot. Do you need me to write it down or something?"

Rush grabbed her shoulders, just managing to resist the urge to shake her into taking this seriously. "Irina, he's still your husband. If it weren't _Dave_, I swear I would never--"

"Ah, he was yours first, Rush. Actually, he was yours even when he was mine, if I'm remembering right."

Rush blinked, slightly horrified, and released his grip on her. "Uh, sis, how about you never tell me exactly what you mean by that?"

She grinned. "Deal. And you're not going to do anything stupid?"

"Huh?"

"Like tell him you're not actually in love with him." Irina tilted her head sideways and smiled at Rush, and she must have _known_ how much that resembled David's mannerisms. "Or deciding you should leave Athlum so we can pretend like you never came back."

He ducked his head, and scowled. He'd have thought that, after all this time, she wouldn't be so good at reading him.

"David wasn't the only one who missed you, Rush. Don't think he'd be the only one upset if you did run off." She made as if to turn, and then paused. Reaching into a pocket, she drew out--her talisman? She presented it to Rush. "Here."

Rush took it, confused.

"It's just a copy. Mom made it for me, after--well, so I could remember you."

Rush held it back out to her. "You should keep it, then."

She shook her head. "You're home, Rush. I don't need it to remember you now. But if you do decide to leave, I want it back, ok?"

She grinned and walked away. Rush stared down at the talisman.

_Why is it she always knows how to make me feel guilty, even when I haven't done anything wrong?_ Rush looped the cord over his head, and tucked the talisman into his jacket. _I'm still not happy about this situation. But I guess I'm outvoted on it being wrong to take up with Dave again._

He took another deep breath. _Okay then. Conscience as clear as I'm going to get here. Now all I have to worry about is everything else in the world, right?_

* * *

A/N: My apologies for such a long delay between postings, and thank you for all the kind reviews so far. The next chapter should (I hope) be up soon.


	4. Connections

By the time David knocked on Rush's door that evening, it was nearly midnight. Rush had been waiting impatiently for quite a while.

David barely had time to close the door behind him before Rush pressed him up against the wall beside it, pushing the bolt home with one hand and smothering any possible objection with a forceful kiss.

The look of startled confusion on David's face was totally worth it.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but we really should talk about—"

"In the morning."

David gave him a look that was only halfway convinced. "If you're absolutely sure..."

Rush answered with another kiss, and felt David's lips curve into a wry smile. "I'm sure," he muttered.

He slid his hands brazenly beneath David's clothes as they kissed again, working his way up David's chest and gently brushing his thumb against a nipple as he did so. David shivered gently, and began to pull at the lacings on Rush's shirt. It didn't take very long before David backed away from the kiss to scowl at Rush's chest.

"Damn. Your clothing is far too complicated, Rush."

Rush looked down at the tangled knots now holding his vest closed. He pushed David's hands away and pulled the offending garment up and off over his head, along with the shirt and undershirt beneath it. Bare-chested, he smirked at David. "Better?"

David's grin was almost feral. He grabbed both of Rush's hands and began to tow Rush into the bedchamber. "I think we can still improve on matters. These trousers of yours, for instance—they hide far too much skin, really."

"Hey, be fair. You're still wearing all of your clothes."

David released Rush's hands for just long enough to unfasten and shrug his coat off his shoulders—and onto the floor—smoothly. Rush barely had time to admire the economy of movement involved before David _dragged_ Rush onto the bed. Rush found himself sprawled inelegantly on top of David, who kissed him again. Rush managed to roll himself sideways, so that he and David were side-by-side, and slid his hand back under David's soft shirt.

David, in return, splayed one hand possessively across Rush's chest, and with the other began to unfasten Rush's belt with a determined, fierce expression. Rush frowned in surprise—David had always been the one who told him to slow down—and he tilted David's head up gently.

"Hey," he murmured, "we have plenty of time, don't we? Besides," and he glanced down the bed, "at least let me take my shoes off first."

David's expression softened into a wry, slightly irritated one. "Rush. It's been _nine years_. Forgive me if I'm lacking much in the way of patience."

Rush chuckled, and sat up so he could actually remove his shoes. "Yeah, but you'll only bitch me out later for having my shoes on the bed." He poked at David's booted feet, playfully, and David made an impatient noise.

"Rush, I swear, if you don't get back up here right now, I—I don't know what I'll do, but think of some dire threat and assume I'll carry it out."

"Okay, well, if you insist—" Rush shimmied back up the bed so he could press himself against Dave. He slid one hand down between them as they kissed, pressing the heel of his hand firmly against the base of David's erection. David moaned very softly, and tilted his head back in pleasure as Rush gently, insistently, began to rub back and forth. Rush managed to resist the urge to nip at the soft, vulnerable skin around Dave's neck—he had just enough self-control to remember that he really shouldn't leave marks—and instead admired the frantic lip-biting that seemed to be David's method of avoiding being too noisy.

"Rush," David managed to mutter, "that's going to be rather—rather too good all too soon if you keep—ah—keep going like that." He wriggled sideways, bringing his leg up to nudge Rush's hand away. Rush grinned, and rolled onto David, straddling him. He began cheerfully unbuttoning David's shirt, pausing only to bat away the hands that slid tentatively up his thighs.

"Uh-uh. No distracting me while you're clothed, Dave."

David laughed, and leaned back on his elbows as Rush unbuttoned and unfastened everything he could reach. He obligingly shifted on demand, so that Rush could free him from his clothing—and Rush was forced to agree that they both really should wear simpler outfits if they were going to be this impatient in future. Still, taking his time allowed him to assess the effects of time on his lover's body. There were scars and marks he didn't recall cataloguing in the past; he'd have to ask about those at some point. He slid down the bed, and began to unfasten David's boots, looking admiringly up at David's now-exposed torso as he did so. David's body looked a little more filled-out to Rush; still on the lean side, but not quite as ridiculously slim as he'd been as a teenager. Rush paused to run a hand across David's stomach, feeling the muscles there tense as David chuckled. It didn't really matter if David looked older, Rush thought. Everything still reacted in the same way, and Rush certainly didn't find him any less attractive now.

Eventually, after much impatient grousing from David about how long Rush was taking, Rush finally straddled David's waist and reached up to remove the choker.

"Much better," Rush murmured, and gently, lovingly, he kissed his way down David's body, amused by how very responsive—almost ticklish—David was. He nibbled gently at the hollow of a hip, deliberately brushing his cheek against David's erection to make him shudder. David made a frustrated noise, but then tensed in pleased anticipation as Rush drew his tongue slowly up the length of his penis.

Rush grinned up at David, then gently swirled his tongue around the head before drawing as much of the length as he could manage into his mouth. David gasped, and dug his fingers hard into Rush's scalp, thrusting his hips upwards towards Rush. Rush hastily pulled back before he gagged, and instead took hold of the base of David's shaft, trying to set up a steady rhythm between his firm strokes and the motion of his mouth. It didn't take long until David released his deathgrip on Rush's hair, and bought one hand up to his mouth to stifle his moans as he came, pulsing jerkily into Rush's mouth.

Rush gave David one last, teasing tongue-flick around the still-swollen head, and shimmied up the bed to lie pressed up against his lover's side, carefully aligning the bulge in his trousers with the curve of David's hip.

David always looked especially beautiful to Rush just after he'd come, breathing heavily, with a trace of shyness and vulnerability. He surprised Rush again by swiftly turning his head to capture Rush's mouth in a deep, sensual kiss, with no compunctions about tasting himself on Rush's tongue. One hand slid down the front of Rush's trousers, and Rush felt those long fingers grasp him insistently.

"Nnnnghh," he managed, and wriggled away. David looked a little startled, but then realised that Rush was merely trying to get enough distance to remove the offending clothing. That accomplished, Rush recaptured David's lips and plunged his tongue deeply into his lover's mouth, running his hands along the lean muscles of David's stomach.

David's hand slid down, found Rush's erection again, and clasped around it firmly. Rush was already tautly hard, and David pumped at Rush none too delicately or slowly, kissing him urgently. Rush found himself almost giddy with the feel of _want_, and was driven to the point of orgasm far more swiftly than he was expecting. He gasped in surprise around David's lips as he, too, came, splattering both of them as he did so.

"Dave," he managed to moan.

David _smirked_ at him, looking incredibly smug and completely dissolute, his hair disarrayed and his lips swollen and reddened from their kissing. Rush felt his heart pound fiercely, and tore his gaze away from those glowingly possessive eyes.

"I may have mentioned that I was feeling a little impatient," purred David, running one hand lightly along Rush's collarbone.

Rush laughed, and carefully pried himself out of David's arms to clean himself up a little at the nightstand. He smiled as David padded up behind him, sliding his arms around his waist and resting his chin on Rush's shoulder.

"Great, now you're making my back sticky."

"I assure you, I will make it up to you."

Rush looked down. There were _teeth marks_ in David's hand—and suddenly he noticed that those hands were completely bare. David must have removed his wedding bands before coming to see Rush. That was an odd thought, and one that Rush carefully filed away to turn over in his mind later. He bought the hand up and kissed it gently, and David inspected the bitemark gravely over Rush's shoulder.

"Well, calling out your name might be considered somewhat indiscreet," he said in Rush's ear. "I needed an alternative."

"At least it stopped you pulling my hair out," Rush said lightly. Feeling David tilt his head back to try and inspect Rush's scalp, he smiled. "Nah, don't worry. I'll survive, as long as nobody thinks I did that to your hand."

"I doubt the tooth marks would match up." David kissed Rush's ear, absent-mindedly. "Meanwhile, where did you throw my shirt? It'll be fit only for rags if it gets too crumpled."

Rush turned in David's arms, and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "Alright, alright. Let's go pick everything up, fold them neatly, and _then_ I'll drag you back to bed to ravish you again. Deal?"

"Deal."

---

Later, Rush was tugging the blankets up around them both—David seemed to have decided to stay the night, and Rush wasn't going to argue—when a thought struck him. He sat up, pushed back the blankets again, and stared at David.

"Hm?" said David sleepily, stirring from his doze. "Whattisit?"

"You're naked."

"Well done," said David, muzzily amused. "It is _your_ fault. What of it?"

"Before, you were never _properly_ naked."

"Of course I was. It was often your fault then, too."

Rush shook his head firmly, and gently, hesitantly, ran his finger just underneath David's eye. David blinked blearily, and then comprehension dawned as he woke up a little more.

"You couldn't see that most of the time, Rush."

"Yeah, but it was there, right?"

"True." David rolled onto his back, and stretched. "Do you wish to talk right now?"

Rush hesitated, and then shrugged. "Nah. Maybe tomorrow. We should sleep."

"If you're certain?"

"Yeah," said Rush, sliding himself back down the bed, and pulling the blankets up. David threw an arm around him, and kissed his shoulder. "G'night, Dave."

---

The next morning, Rush awoke to an empty bed. He sighed, threw on a robe, and wandered out to the outer chamber and the inevitable note on the table.

_Rush,_ it began, in David's surprisingly inelegant scrawl,

_Torgal looked for me here, having had his suspicions confirmed with Irina about where I would mostly likely be this morning. I've extracted the appropriate assurances from him. I have meetings until noon—_

Rush glanced out of the window. Several hours until then. Damn.

_—but then most of my afternoon should be free. I'll endeavour to clear as much of the schedule as remains. Torgal will help. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the abruptness of my departure._

Rush snorted.

_I am mindful of other eyes seeing this, and so, whatever else I would say shall wait until later. Yours, D._

Rush sighed. Well, that left him plenty of time before he could see David again. The castle was in theory a safe place; still, all those messengers and officials probably classed as people that shouldn't see Rush yet. Even if Ghor knew, that didn't mean everyone did. If he was going to stay here, he really was sort of trapped for now, not just in the castle but in the non-public parts of the castle. Which meant that Rush couldn't really go anywhere, and he didn't really want to sit around brooding again.

Which left catching up with the Generals, poking through his old possessions again, or else going to visit Irina. The generals were probably busy, and Rush figured he'd only manage to tie himself in knots again if he found any more mementoes in his old gear.

Irina it was, then.

---

Irina seemed delighted to see Rush, although the knowing look she gave him made it _very_ clear that she knew where David had spent the previous night.

"Hey sis. You got time to chat to your brother?"

"Of course I do," she said cheerfully. She pulled Rush over to a seat by the window. "We have a ton to catch up on, anyway... where do I start?"

"How about with Mom and Dad? How are they doing?"

"They're fine! I got a letter from Mom the other day--when we were on the way here. You know they're setting up a research center on Eulam? They've been back and forth to the mainland to set that up, and I think Mom's getting sick of the boat ride."

"Huh. You see 'em often?"

"They were last here about, oh, four months ago. I think Dad likes being a grandfather. Mom—she says it makes her feel old, but she loves Ae all the same."

Rush smiled, a twinge of envy running through him. "And how is little Aethan?"

"He's wonderful!" Irina fussed with the edge of the seat, not quite meeting Rush's eyes. "He looks a lot like David did at the same age, according to Torgal." She stood, and brushed down the front of her skirts. "Y'know, why don't we go see him? You've barely met him yet, have you?"

"Not yet!"

Rush followed Irina out of a side-door, and down the corridor. She knocked gently on a door, and opened it to reveal a room where three toddlers—one blonde boy, and two small brunette girls—playing a game which seemed to involve carved wooden balls and lots of giggling. They didn't appear to notice the door opening. A woman in soldier's livery sat watching them contentedly from a padded chair.

"Hey Sela—how's he getting on?" asked Irina quietly.

"Oh, much as usual, my lady. He won't win, but he'll not do badly." The soldier glanced at Rush curiously.

"A relative," explained Irina. "May I steal Ae away from the girls for a while?"

"Of course. Aethan! Your mother's here for you." Ae turned, and looking somewhat disappointed at having his playtime disrupted, began to scramble up to his feet. Irina knelt down as he walked over, and carefully straightened his collar.

"You can come back and play in a little while, Ae. Say bye to your friends for now, though, k?"

He brightened a little, and turned back and waved to the two girls still sitting on the mat. "Bye Sally. Bye Kef!"

They waved back, and chorused "bye Ae!" before turning their attentions back to their game.

"Right, Ae. You remember meeting your uncle Rush the other day?" Irina asked Aethan, grinning at Rush over her son's head as they strolled back to her rooms.

Aethan furrowed his brow and then nodded furiously. "Glowy stones."

"That's right, it was in the place with the glowing stones."

Rush held open the door to Irina's room for them. Aethan gave him a very curious, if shy, look, and said, "Dada likes uncle Rush."

Rush felt the blood drain from his face in horror. Irina, however, seemed amused.

"Rush and your dad have been friends for a long time, yes. He knew your dada before I did."

Aethan looked wide-eyed. Rush supposed that the idea that anyone had known your parents longer than they'd known each other was pretty spectacular at that age.

"Your uncle Rush is my brother, Ae. You know, like Sally and Kef are sisters?"

"Uh-huh," said Aethan, nodding vigorously. Appearing to think this needed further comment, he added, "like Unca Blocter 'n' dada!"

Rush smothered a guffaw, and Irina smiled at Aethan. "A bit like that." She looked up at Rush. "So, Rush, anything you wanna say to your nephew?"

Rush blinked. What, exactly, was he supposed to say? He knelt. "Hey kiddo."

Aethan giggled, and Irina smiled. "His grandfather calls him that, too."

"Yeah?" Rush smiled at Aethan conspiratorially. "Your grandfa is my dad, so that makes sense. He used to call me and your mom kiddo."

Aethan appeared to consider this, and then giggled again. Rush found himself rather pleased that Irina's son—that _Dave and Irina_'s son—was such a cheerful little thing.

Irina also knelt. "Ae? Why don't you show Rush some of your toys?"

Aethan nodded, and, taking one of Rush's hands, began towing Rush determinedly towards a door that presumably led to his toys. Rush let himself be dragged, reminded forcibly of David with every step. Irina smiled at her son's detemination. "I'll come get you in a bit, Rush. Just don't let him bully you into giving him sweets, ok?"

---

Irina took pity on Rush a short while later, only to find Rush cheerfully making up an elaborate story for an awestruck Aethan. She leant on the doorframe as Rush dramatically explained the cunning manoeuvres Aethan's toy army should make to win their battle. After a desperate sweep from the left flank, the army finally beat the big, fierce, patchwork dragon toy Rush was waving about. Aethan clapped in delight as the dragon swooped onto the floor and flopped over onto its back, defeated.

"Ok, Aethan," said Irina, "I think it's time for you to let Rush go now—c'mon, Sally and Kef are probably wondering why you're not back yet."

Aethan sighed, and stumbled to his feet. He gave Rush a hug, impulsively, and then began to gather up the soldiers.

"Hey kiddo, I'll put 'em away. Your mom can take you back to your friends while I do that," said Rush, picking up the patchwork dragon from the floor.

"Oh, thanks, Rush—I'll be back in a few minutes, in that case. Say thanks to your uncle, Ae."

"Thanks, unca Rush!" chirped Aethan, and he dashed out of the room. Irina smiled wearily, and followed.

Rush carefully stowed the dragon on a low shelf, and put the soldiers back in their box. It was a nice little room, he thought, and clearly someone was trying to make sure Ae wasn't hugely spoiled; it was simply decorated and the toys were mostly inexpensive and well-worn. Rush would bet that Ae got given treats and presents by visitors and servants all the time; he was a sunny little child and probably the pet of the castle. Rush poked his head out of a door on the far side, and saw what must be Aethan's bedroom. It had at least some of those 'presents' arrayed on high shelves—it looked to him like fragile toys or those meant for an older child had been stowed out of reach for the future. All very practical, and he could imagine Irina spending a lot of time in these rooms with Aethan.

Actually, now he thought about it, did David get much time to spend with his son? And how much of that time was he planning on sacrificing to spend with Rush instead?

He closed that door, and padded back into Irina's room, settling himself on the couch. Irina's ceiling showed the Tao Tie and the market section of Balterossa in vivid hues, and Rush lost himself in the view for a while.

Moments later, Irina let herself back in, and smiled at Rush. "Ae likes you, in case you were concerned. He says you tell stories almost as good as Bloctor's."

"Only almost? Man, I gotta try harder."

Irina laughed, and sat down.

"You were right, though, sis, he's awesome. And he does look—and act—just like a tiny Dave. You sure he's yours?"

Irina mock-scowled at her brother, and then bit her lip slightly. "I hope we can trust Sela; she'll know who you are as soon as Ae starts talking about you."

Rush shrugged. "She might have known anyway; I think the soldiers all figured it out in Fornstrand."

"Oh, true. Oh well."

Rush shrugged again, and looked speculatively at Irina as she sat. "Don't worry about it. Qubine knows; everyone's gonna find out I'm back sooner or later."

"I guess. I just thought—later would be better."

"Can't do anything about it either way. So we should stop worrying about it, right?"

"Right." Irina smiled at Rush. "And you can stop worrying about me too, Rush. I'm really not mad at you."

"It's still all sorts of messed up that you ended up _married_ to Dave."

Irina looked down at her hands again, and twisted one of her wedding bands around. "I'm not going to keep saying sorry, Rush."

"That's not what I meant, sis, and you know it. It's just—" Rush waved his hands around vaguely, "—hard to figure out. I'm not much older, or I don't think I am, but then I see folks and I can _see_ how much older they are. And everything's changed. When Pagus told me about Royotia's evacuation, it seemed... like just a crazy made-up story, y'know."

"I know."

Rush sighed, and Irina cast about for a distraction.

"I'm sending back a letter to Mom and Dad—come help me work out what I should say to make them come visit? Without actually telling them you're back?"

* * *

A/N: A shortish chapter, everyone in a sort of holding pattern, and at least half porn. Oops.


End file.
